Mini-Fairfax tour with VDOT bike coordinator John Bolecek

Fionnuala Quinn and Kerie Hitt of FABB,
Zack Field of Congressman Connolly's office,
and John Bolecek, VDOT Bike Coordinator

In our July-August newsletter we mentioned that VDOT has a new bike coordinator, John Bolecek, and that we planned to invite him for a tour of Fairfax. John was in town this week sitting in on a UVA-sponsored training course, Designing for Bicycles, and he was able to spend the morning with us on a mini-tour of Fairfax. Zack Fields of Congressman Connolly's office was also able to join the ride along with Fionnuala Quinn and Kerie Hitt of FABB.

From Vienna we rode north to Tysons Corner to see an important bike route into Tysons where shared lane markings are needed on Old Courthouse Road at Freedom Hill Park. We then headed east along Old Courthouse Rd where bike lanes could easily be striped between Route 123 and Gallows Rd. We headed south on Gallows where bike lanes should be constructed this year. We stopped by Kilmer Middle School where Congressman Connolly attended a ribbon-cutting for their new bike racks and saw the new bridge connecting Wolf Trap Rd.

We then headed south on Gallows to Oak St to see the bike lanes on the new bridge over the Beltway that was recently opened. We checked out a narrow section of Idylwood Rd that is used by many bike commuters traveling from the W&OD Trail to Pimmit Hills, Tysons, and McLean

We then headed to the W&OD Trail to see that new bridge over the Beltway and discussed some issues there including the need for permanent fencing on both sides of the bridge. From there we rode to Gallows Rd and headed south on the bike lanes toward Dunn Loring Metro, discussing the need for shared lane markings where the bike lanes end just north of the I-66 bridge.

At Dunn Loring Zack headed back to work on Metro. Even on a raining morning the bike racks at the station were nearly full. We then discussed the planned future growth in the Merrifield area and the need for good bike access to the Dunn Loring station and in the surrounding community.

We headed back to Vienna via the narrow bridge on Cedar Lane over I-66 to a left on Cottage St.

It was great meeting John and having a chance to spend time with him and Zack discussing some of the issues we face here in Fairfax. We look forward to working with him to help make Virginia more bicycle friendly.